Arlo vs. Arlo Pro — What’s the Difference?

Arlo vs. Arlo Pro — can’t decide which one to buy? They’re both great cameras. The Arlo Pro version actually offers more features, but it costs a bit more than the Standard Arlo Camera. We’ve put together a list of differences between the two systems, a table of prices with Arlo and Arlo Pro kits and add-ons, and then a conclusion where we give you our opinion. Is the Pro version worth it? That’s what we’re here to find out, so let’s compare Arlo vs. Arlo Pro and help you make the call.

Arlo vs. Arlo Pro — Differences

Difference # 1: Power Source – The Arlo Pro Camera offers flexible power options. You can use it either wire-free or plugged in. The Arlo Pro is powered by a long-lasting, rechargeable battery. The battery’s life varies based on settings, usage, and temperature. But it’s safe to say that it’ll last for up to four months without a problem. Also, the Arlo Pro camera offers an alternative, eco-friendly power source option. If you don’t want to depend on the battery, you can use an Arlo Solar Panel to power your camera:

Difference #2: Two-Way Audio – The Arlo Pro camera has a built-in speaker and mic. So, you can listen in and talk back straight from your smartphone, another great feature to have. Tell your dog to get off the couch or use it for security purposes. This built-in mic works great and the standard Arlo is definitely missing out on this one-of-a-kind feature. Unfortunately, Arlo cameras don’t have a speaker or mic, thus they can only record video without audio.

Difference #3: Viewing Angle – The difference in viewing angle is just 20 Degrees. The Arlo Pro camera has a 130-degree viewing angle, whereas the standard camera is 110-degrees. That’s not a huge difference, but who knows what one might miss from those 20 degrees? By the way, Nest cam is also 130-Degrees. So, it looks like the standard Arlo camera is left a little bit behind.

Difference # 4 Advanced Motion Detection – The Arlo Pro cameras feature a wide-angle PIR motion sensor. That’s an important upgrade since Arlo cameras have some issues with an in-time motion detection. However, with the Arlo Pro and its improved PIR sensor, not a single movement goes unnoticed.

Difference # 5: Smart Siren – Arlo Pro offers a 100+ decibel siren. But don’t let this difference trick you. The siren is actually built into the Arlo Pro Base Station, not the camera itself. So in case you already have the Arlo Pro Base Station, than don’t even worry about this difference. You can connect both Arlo and Arlo Pro cameras to the Arlo Pro Base Station. Control the siren remotely, or set up a motion/audio trigger — it’s that simple.

The standard Arlo base station doesn’t support this feature. So you might want to upgrade your standard Arlo Base to Arlo Pro Base to get the security benefit. However, if you have a smart home security system already installed, who needs the Arlo siren?

Difference # 6 Local Storage – This is also rather a base station difference than a camera one. Even though the standard Arlo camera base station has two USB ports, it doesn’t support local storage. However, Arlo provides you with free cloud storage for a limited period. And it’s usually more than enough. You can keep all your motion-triggered recordings in the cloud for 7 days. You can also save the recording by downloading them to your computer from the online storage. But what if the Internet goes down? That’s when local storage will come in handy.

With the Arlo Pro Base Station, you can use the USB device as a second location to store Arlo and Arlo Pro recordings locally. So, in case your Internet connection goes down, the cameras will continue to record to the USB device, as long as the cameras and base station are powered on.

Arlo vs. Arlo Pro — FAQs

The new Arlo Pro base station features local storage via a USB drive and a 100+ db smart siren. Also, not that it really matters, but the two base stations have different designs. Other than that, any assumptions about a faster processor haven’t been proven yet. Check out our take on Arlo vs. Arlo Pro Base Station for more details.

Can I use Arlo cameras with Arlo Pro base station?

Yes, Arlo cameras have no problem syncing with the Arlo Pro Base Station. Same as Arlo Pro cameras can connect to the Arlo Station. Arlo makes expending of Arlo security system really simple — all Arlo wireless cameras work with all base stations.

Should I upgrade my standard Arlo cameras and base?

If you already have a standard Arlo Wire-Free, you can still add a few Arlo Pro Cameras. Both the Pro and the standard Arlo kits work seamlessly together. You can buy cameras separately, like the Arlo Add-on Camera.

Or, if you want to upgrade to a Pro base, you can always buy it separately or part of any Arlo Pro Camera kit. Once you sync your Arlo Wire-Free cameras with the new Arlo Pro Base Station and will be able to take advantage of the new base station features like smart siren and local storage.

Arlo vs. Arlo Pro — Pricing Chart

Arlo vs. Arlo Pro — The Bottom Line

If you’re choosing between Arlo vs. Arlo Pro, we’d say go with the Pro Version over the Standard Arlo. Sometimes Pro versions don’t have much to offer. But when you compare Arlo Pro vs Arlo, it’s hard to say no to the Pro version. All the new, eco-friendly features like solar panel charging, two-way audio and advanced motion detection are definitely worth the extra cash. Plus, with the Arlo Pro base station, you get smart siren and local storage.

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About The Author

Smart home enthusiast. Travel junkie. Baseball fan. When he’s not writing about smart home automation, Joseph enjoys playing with statistics in excel spreadsheets — boring for most, fun for him. Note: He did not write this bio.

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